Older Adults
As in most developed countries, Australia’s population is ageing. Understanding the demographic characteristics and needs of older Australians (those aged 65 years and over), is becoming increasingly important. Many older Australians have accumulated assets, such as real estate and savings, which can be used to support their living into retirement. In Wyndham however, the main source of income for the majority (72%) of older adults is an aged pension.
The City of Wyndham is experiencing a sustained period of rapid growth across all age groups. While families with dependent children are forecast to remain the most significant demographic group in Wyndham, the population aged over 65 years is forecast to grow by 260% between 2016 and 2041.
This profile contains information on some determinants of older adult health including social connection, income and disability.
Older Adults refer to people aged 65 years and over, unless otherwise stated.
All data in this profile is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, 2011 or 2016, Census of Population and Housing unless otherwise indicated.
Population
In 2016, nearly 8% of the population of Wyndham was aged 65 years and over, equating to around 16,346 residents. The proportion of over 65s across Greater Melbourne (14%) is almost double that observed in Wyndham.
The number of older adults in Wyndham has been growing steadily. Interestingly, the proportion they contribute to the total overall population of Wyndham hasn’t changed significantly over time. This highlights how over the past 10 years the population of Wyndham has remained relatively young.
Percentage of population aged 65 + years, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Population Forecast
The over 65s population in Wyndham is, like all other age groups, growing at a rapid rate. Between 2019 and 2041, the population of adults aged 65 years and over is set to nearly triple from 21,353 people to 56,990. Both the 65-74 and 75+ year old age groups will be experiencing continuous growth.
Population forecast, 65-74 and 75+ year olds, Wyndham, 2019-20411
There is a very small population of Indigenous residents aged 65 years and over living in Wyndham. At the 2016 Census, there were 38 Aboriginal people and 3 Torres Strait Islander residents. In total, Indigenous residents account for less than 1% of the total over 65 age group living in Wyndham, and 2.4% of the total Indigenous population.
Country of Birth
In 2016, less than half of older adults in Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne were born in Australia (42% and 45% respectively). In Wyndham, England, Italy, India, Malta and Scotland were the most common countries of birth outside Australia. Across Greater Melbourne, Greece, China and Germany were in the top 5.
Older adults country of birth, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Language Spoken at Home
There are similar proportions of English-only speakers in Wyndham and Greater Melbourne (62% and 63% respectively). Interestingly, the language profiles differ slightly to the country of birth. In Wyndham, Greek is in the top 5 most commonly spoken languages other than English, despite not making the top 5 most common countries of birth.
A similar pattern has occurred across Greater Melbourne where there were a large number of German born residents, but a small proportion of German speakers. Instead Maltese is a more commonly spoken language. Some cultural groups may be more protective of their culture and language and continue to cultivate them outside their country of birth.
Older adults language spoken at home, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
English Proficiency
English speaking proficiency is relatively high amongst multilingual speakers in Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne. In Wyndham, around 20% of older adults are dual or multilingual, and can speak English very well or well. Almost 8% cannot speak English well and 3% cannot speak any English. A similar trend is observed across Greater Melbourne.
Older adults English speaking proficiency, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Unlike the entire population of Wyndham, there are high rates of religious affiliation amongst older adults. In 2016, 76% of older adults were affiliated with a religion. Christian religions were the most popular with just over 70% of 65+ year olds affiliated with one of the many Christian denominations. A similar trend exists across Greater Melbourne.
Older adults religious affiliation, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Almost half of all older adult households in Wyndham and Greater Melbourne are occupied by couples without children. Over 14.4% of Wyndham older adults are living alone, compared to 22% in Greater Melbourne. In Wyndham a higher proportion of older couples live with children compared with Greater Melbourne. This trend suggests a prevalence in Wyndham of multi-generational households; adult children living/caring for older parents, and/or older parents caring for their children and/or grandchildren.
Older adult households Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
High School
Overall, education attainment is lower amongst Wyndham older adults compared to older adults across Greater Melbourne. Just over a quarter of Wyndham residents over 65 years of age have completed year 12 or equivalent, compared to nearly 32% in Greater Melbourne.
Older adults highest year of school completed, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Higher Education
Older adults across Greater Melbourne and Wyndham have achieved a higher education qualification proportion of 100% respectively. Around 53.5% of Greater Melbourne’s older adults have a bachelor degree or higher compared to 31.7% of older adults from Wyndham. Certificate level qualifications were more common amongst Wyndham over 65s compared to those across Greater Melbourne (29.7% and 7.3% respectively).
Older adults qualifications, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
In 2016, just over 11% of Wyndham older adults were still engaged in the workforce; equally in full and part time capacities. Around 0.4% of older adults were looking to join the workforce. Not surprisingly, the majority of adults of retirement age (65+ years) are not in the labour force (80%).
Older adults employment status Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Personal Income
Older adults across Greater Melbourne are earning more each week compared to those in Wyndham. A third of Greater Melbourne older adults (33%) are receiving $500+ personal income per week compared to just over 26% of older adults Wyndham wide. Nearly 10% of Wyndham older adults have a negative or nil weekly income.
Older adults total personal weekly income, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Pension
It is estimated that a larger proportion (71.5%) of older adults in Wyndham were receiving aged pensions compared to older adults Victoria wide (67.9%).2,3
Need for assistance
Individuals who need assistance with core activities require help completing day-to-day tasks such as communicating, self-care, and/or body movements. A similar proportion of adults over 65 years from Wyndham and across Greater Melbourne require assistance with core activities. A slightly larger proportion of Wyndham adults aged 75 years and over require assistance, compared to those from Greater Melbourne (33.3% and 31.3% respectively).
Older adults need for assistance with core activities, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
Carers
There are similar rates in Wyndham and Greater Melbourne of older adults providing care to other people (11.7% and 12.2% respectively). In 2016, 8.9% of Wyndham adults aged over 75 were caring for another person.
Older adult carers, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
In 2016, almost 12% of Wyndham's older adults volunteered compared to nearly 16% across Greater Melbourne.
Older adult volunteers, Wyndham and Greater Melbourne, 2016
The Index of Wellbeing for Older Australians (IWOA) is a nationwide study investigating the overall wellbeing of people aged 65 years and older. The study ranks health and wellbeing by area. ‘Wellbeing’ is measured against five ‘domains’: wealth and housing, functional ability, participation, resources and education. Quintile 1 (dark blue) represents the lowest wellbeing, and quintile 5 (yellow) represents the highest level of wellbeing for each area.
The heat map illustrates the index of wellbeing for older adults across Greater Melbourne.
Index of wellbeing for for older adults across Greater Melbourne heat map, 2011
Across the municipality, Wyndham residents aged over 65 years scored in the lowest two quintiles indicating a low index of wellbeing with the exception of Point Cook. The suburb of Point Cook scored within the fourth quintile, suggesting that older adults in Point Cook experience a higher overall level of wellbeing, including financial security, internet access, and social interactions.
In contrast, Werribee, Werribee South and Laverton have the lowest wellbeing, based on each suburb scoring 1 on the IWOA. A relatively high proportion of older adults living in these suburbs are experiencing housing stress, low levels of social participation and limited financial resources. Both Werribee (949) and Werribee South (988) also have a low score on the SEIFA Index of Relative Disadvantage, which is a general socio-economic index that summarises a range of information about the economic and social conditions of people and households within an area. A low score indicates relatively greater disadvantage, and a high score indicates a relative lack of disadvantage.
